Put Together
by Magiccatprincess
Summary: There is more than one kind of family. There's the one you choose to belong with. The Guardians weren't a family, not before Jack joined them. And now they are trying to be the family he has longed for, the one he deserves. There is a book with tips on how to become a family. Read to see if these tips are of any use to the Guardians.
1. Clear Rules and Oreos

**Author: (facepalms) I should be working on my Big Time Rush story, but the pull of Rise of the guardians fandom is too strong for me to resist. For those of you following my other story All Hell Breaks Loose, don't worry I'm working on the 3rd chapter and it will probably be up on Sunday or later.**

Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG

Ch1: Clear Rules and Oreos

_Family, not as easy as one would think. Being born into a family is easy enough. A mom, a dad and kids. That's what comes to mind when asked what the basic concept is for family._

_Unfortunately it isn't that easy._

_For does a man who beats his children deserve to be a called a father?_

_When a mother spends more time with her lover and neglects her child is she still a mother._

_And sadly there are those who lose their family._

_Naturally there are the composed families, blended families... Becoming a family is hard enough, here are some tips for newly becoming families._

_#1 Clearness is important. Make sure that new adopted or step-child(ren) know the rules and that you and your partner have the same rules so no one gets confused._

It looked so good... Tasty... Those dark-colored cookies... the delicious vanilla cream between them... Jack had seen Jamie and Sophie eat cookies that looked similar to these, Oreos they called them. But these were fresh ones, Jack had witnessed the yetis making them. So he could eat them and be sure no elf had licked or played with it.

The fresh tray was practically begging to be eaten and with the yetis already working on more batches why couldn't he take a cookie or two?

Or three... Four... Five and heck what's bad about twelve? North did say twelve was his favorite number, and when Jack took cookie number thirteen he felt obligated to take another cookie. Thirteen was an unlucky number so obviously he couldn't stop there.

"Jack?"

Jack froze mid-bite. Sky blue eyes looked through the already messy kitchen before landing on North. The Russian cossack stood in the doorstep with perplexed look on his face.

"Um... Hi, North I didn't want to be late for today's meeting so I came early a-and I smelled the cookies so I went to the kitchen and.. Cookie?" Jack finished his rambling explanation by offering North a cookie.

For a small moment North just looked at Jack before letting out a loud laugh. "Jack my boy," his belly shook with laughter. "you are eating it wrong way!" Despite his words santa claus ate his own cookie.

Not sure what North meant Jack just stared at him, a small frown on his pale face.

Smiling North ordered two large glasses of milk and led Jack to the table where they were served with more freshly made Oreo cookies and two very large glasses with milk.

When he spoke next it was in all seriousness. "Watch very carefully." North said grabbing an Oreo he separated the two halves. "First lick." He instructed, then he licked the vanilla cream on each side of the Oreo.

"Then dip." North explained holding up his index finger to show Jack how important this part of the lesson was.

In response Jack let out a small laugh when North put the Oreo back together and dipped it in the milk and then finally(in Jack's opinion) ate the Oreo.

Whipping the crumbs from his beard North looked at Jack expectantly. "Now you try."

For a small moment Jack wondered if he should feel honoured or something. What other kid on the planet could say they were taught the correct way to eat Oreo cookies by Santa Claus?

Was there even a better expert on cookies and milk?

Grinning Jack leaned back in the wooden chair. "I don't know North, looks really complicated."

Lick, dip and finally eat. Who knew?

**-ROTG-**

North and Jack were already in the globe room when Bunny jumped out of his tunnel. "Oi! Frostbite, think fast!"

He was no martial artist, but by the way Jack caught the chocolate Easter egg that was chucked at his head right before it hit him in the face, he might as well be one. "Sweet! Thanks cotton-tail!"

Opening his mouth to take a bite for the chocolate goody Jack found himself chewing... air? Jack didn't get the chance to question the sudden lack of chocolate in his hand, the _seemingly_ fragile hands prodding his mouth kind of distracted him.

"Still so white and pretty!" Tooth gushed tilting her head to get a better look at Jack's pearly whites. The queen of the Tooth fairies suddenly froze.

Reaching into Jack's mouth Tooth rubbed a finger against one of Jack's teeth. When she pulled her finger out there was one singly tiny black cookie crumb on her finger. "Jack," Tooth's tone was a warning to the lecture about to come. "what did I tell you about sweets?"

"..."

Jack blinked mind going back to a conversation at the Tooth Palace from a couple of months ago. 'Sweets are horrible to your teeth and I do _not _want you having them.' In retrospect he might have agreed to a rule...

"Uh, North showed me how to eat Oreos the right way."

Tooth's wings for the beat of a moment seemed to slow down, right before they started moving even faster than before. "Nicholas st. North do you have any idea what those cookies could to to my Sweet Tooth's teeth?!" She demanded rounding on the jolly man.

Naturally North started defending himself and the cookies. He practically lived on milk and cookies and he turned out just fine! Better than fine!

While those two argued like... Dare he say it? An old married couple, Bunnymund and Jack watched with great interest. It was a show to see really. The Tooth fairy barely left a piece of Santa left!

Floating into the workshop through a window high up on the roof Sandy flew over to the four stopping to look at North and Tooth still arguing, by now it was about who knew most about taking care a child, Tooth who could help children with memories, guide them and help them remember the good and bad memories of childhood or North who knew naughty and nice like no one else and made them behave their best to earn gifts for Christmas.

Sandy landed in front of Bunny and Jack, forming a question mark above his head he nodded towards North and Tooth.

"I think Tooth tried lay a rule on me." Jack answered giggling. "And she doesn't like it that North taught me the right way to eat Oreos."

"What about that anyway?" Bunny asked blinking at Jack.

"It's not as easy as it looks, Roo." The eternal teenager told Bunnymund and Sandy surprising them with the seriousness in his voice. "You got to twist them real carefully or you break them and the- Oh I can show you!" Jack cried already flying out the door.

Bunny and Sandy shared a look before shrugging and following Jack. Free Oreos sounded great, despite how much fun watching Tooth and North argue was.


	2. No Replacements and Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG

Ch2: No Replacements and Memories.

_Even when a child is old enough to understand what's happening, he or she will often still view a new step-parent as someone who is trying to replace their biological parent. The same goes for adopted children._

_It is harder if the child has lost his or her parents._

_That's the reason for the following tip._

_#2 Do not try to replace your step-child or adopted child's biological parents. _

When watching his memories in Antarctica, which seemed like so long ago and yet at the same time it was fresh in his mind. That had been three of the most epic days in his 300+ years of existence. Anyway, when Jack opened his teeth container in Antarctica he hadn't gotten all his memories back.

That's not how it works. Baby teeth contain the most important memories of childhood, and when a child needs to remember what matters most Tooth and her mini-faries help them.

So when Jack, at the bottom of ravine, at rock bottom and literally at his lowest point ever, for the winter child belonged in the sky where he could feel the wind and _not_ at the bottom of some cliff or... Underneath a frozen pond, Jack had gotten the memories that he needed.

Flashes of fun, moments of playing with family and so much fun times.

And of course the memory of saving his sister.

What made Jack a guardian? Well willing to die for another child was one, being able to turn every scary situation into fun was two. Those were just two things on an already long list.

To gain all his memories back Jack met up with Tooth at the Tooth palace every month always two weeks before the next guardian meeting, where Tooth would guide him through a new memory.

It was kind of like therapy. Tooth and him would sit down near one of the rafters with the best view over the palace, and Jack would open his teeth container. After he had seen the memory Jack had to tell Tooth what he had seen.

Usually it would be little things, like how his mom would make his favorite sweet bread with pumpkin seeds on special occasions, how they still had fun even though they were a poor family who weren't in generally liked in the small village. Bedtime stories and playing in the snow. LOTS of memories of playing outside in the snow.

Jack would tell them to Tooth, it was part of the process. After viewing a memory it would be just that and Jack needed to tell them and then they'd settle like normal memories of events from years ago.

Memories of tree climbing and he had already remembered a few Christmases and Easter egg hunts. Losing his first baby tooth and many other small things.

But the 1700s were tough times, for adults and children alike. Jack also gained memories of working in factories, doing hard painful work that no one else could or wanted to do for little money just to keep his family alive.

Or sometimes a memory from his 300 years alone would sneak its way through his baby teeth. A down effect to being an eternal child.

These memories he too would share with Tooth for all these memories had been a part of making the Jack he was today and he didn't want to forget anything.

Except for the one time he did, and the time Tooth let him.

**-ROTG-**

Tooth sucked her inner cheek with worry, her amethyst eyes never leaving Jack's troubled expression. The 314 year-old bringer winter had his eyes tightly shut, his jaw clenched and his knuckles were even paler than usual as he gripped his memory box.

He looked even more distressed than when he remembered that winter where his mother had gotten really sick.

One of Toothiana's small hands ghosted through Jack's snow-white hair. "It's okay Sweet Tooth." She whispered. "It'll be over soon."

This was the part of her job she never liked, when a child needed to remember something bad. It was rarely needed, in fact Tooth and her mini always softened the bad memories of childhood by helping them remember the happy moments.

When fat tears started rolling down Jack's cheeks, some of them freezing solid, Tooth gave in and pulled Jack closer so his head was on her lap and gently stroking his hair.

When the boy started sobbing Tooth closed her eyes and started humming. After a short while humming turned into singing.

It was an ancient song in the language of the Sisters of Flight, the language that was the predecessor of many modern-day Asian languages. The song her dad used sing to her when she couldn't sleep.

During the second verse she felt Jack snap out of his memories. She smiled softly down at him when pale blue eyes slowly blinked up at her.

"Tooth..." Jack whispered. He tried to sit up, but Toothiana gently and firmly kept him down, her hand still going through his hair. "My dad, he..." Jack swallowed. "It hurt so bad a-nd he-"

"It's alright Sweet-Tooth." Tooth interrupted him her tone gentle and her smile caring. She would be okay with keeping whatever that had upset Jack so much a vague memory. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

When Jack didn't reply Tooth started humming again, this time a song she was sure Jack knew. Though maybe he would have a bit trouble recognizing it seeing she hummed it in a slower pace than it was usually sung.

The song almost seemed out-of-place in the warm climate of the Tooth Palace.

It seemed to do the trick though, slowly Jack's posture relaxed and his eyes started to drop.

"Winter wonderland?" Jack mumbled rolling his eyes upwards to look at the Tooth fairy who smiled in relief when she saw the good-natured humour sparkling in those sky blues.

"It's fitting for all you do." Tooth replied with a small quiet laugh. "The human who wrote it must have been very familiar with you wonderful happy flakes."

Jack smiled sleepily. "Thanks mom..." Jack mumbled snuggling closer and finally closing his eyes giving in to sleep.

She tried not to smile as hugely as she did, after all Jack had just woken from viewing from traumatic childhood memories and was inches from falling asleep when he said it, but...

But he called her mom!

Somewhere in her Sweet Tooth's mind he viewed her as his second mom!

Blinking rapidly Tooth smiled a happy smile and resumed humming 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland."

**Author: Whether Jack talked about his dad abusing or him or dying or whatever is up to you, because honesty I haven't decidced yet myself. **


	3. No Bribing and Hopeful Reminders

Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG

Ch3: No Bribing and Hopeful Reminders

_Every parent wants to be the fun parent, of every uncle wants to be the favorite. When a new child gets adopted into the family it is only natural to want the child to like you._

_However giving the child gifts to be liked is not wise. The child will be likely to expect more gifts afterwards._

_#3 Do not try to bribe the child into liking you._

It wasn't just a gift...

Nor could it be _just_ a gift.

It was a welcome to the team, sorry for being unfair to you, sorry that I over-reacted those 45 years ago, thank you for coming back when you could have stayed away, thank you for not hating us like anyone else in your position would-gift.

And so much more than that!

Bunnymund had made many mistakes regarding their newest member, from automatically assuming the worst to refusing to listen.

The pooka's ears flattened when he recalled the effect their words and actions had, had on the winter spirit. Easter ruined, children losing belief... For the first time in a very long time Aster had felt hopeless.

That had not stopped Bunny from feeling the hope in Jack, rapidly and painfully shriveling away to nothing.

_Nothing._

It wasn't like the frostbite hoped for much... And that alone spoke volumes of how Jack, had been mistreated by the world.

Daring to hope for friends had already been too much, colleagues or associates something Jack would have been thrilled with.

And even that hope had been crushed.

Of course things were better now. Jack was a guardian. That changed things.

At least that's what his fellow members of the Big Four hoped.

Bunny knew that Tooth hoped for them to someday be able to make things up to Jack, but both Bunny and Sandy knew through their centers -Hope and Dreams- that they'd be lucky if Jack would eventually forgive them.

Bunny knew that North, who had wanted child of his own for a long, long time and now that they had an immortal child in the group, North hoped to be a father to Jack.

Something the 314 year-old both needed and deserved.

But Bunny also knew that sadly, Jack was cautious in hoping.

Something that was their-and mostly his fault. Something that Bunymund planned to fix.

Hope is something that needs to hold onto. It's also something that needed a boost every once in a while, Bunny knew that like no other. It didn't take much, a few bright-colored eggs were enough to give children hope. Jack in many ways would alway be a child so the same would work for him.

Except that Jack had no reason to go on an egg hunt.

It had to be something else.

It also had to be portable, Jack was always traveling and Bunny wanted Jack to have a constant reminder of hope. That he wasn't and wouldn't be alone anymore.

Portable and meaningful, Jack didn't care much for material stuff. According to Tooth Jack was from 1700s, the colony that would be Burges. Tooth didn't share much from her memory restore sessions with Jack, it was Jack's choice to tell and sometimes the winter child did just that. Happy memories were good to share.

Especially with loved ones, friends and fam-

That's it!

**-ROTG-**

It takes a while, two weeks actually which is a whole lot faster than any human artist would be able to do it, but with Tooth's help Bunny created the gift for Jack. Right on time for Jack's annoy the Easter kangaroo routine.

Jack's landing on top of one of the large egg golems shows expert balance, when the frost child didn't see Bunnymund he floated down and began his search.

Aster let Jack search for a little while longer, right up un till Jack began randomly frosting up trees.

Pretty patterns be damned! Freezing up eternal spring would not go unpunished. Tapping the floor two times Bunny opened a tunnel and jumped in only to appear behind Jack up the hill.

One jump was all it took to start their friendly and fun tussle down the hills, ice and snow all good weapons and little walking eggs great allies.

Jack was still laughing when they both landed, servile hills down now.

That is when Bunny pulled out the paper and without uttering a word forced it into Jack's hands.

Blinking Jack sat up and looked at the piece of paper, sky blue eyes grew twice their size and his breath hitched when he instantly recognized the three people drawn on it. It was him, younger and with brown hair and brown eyes in his old white blouse, though it looked fairly new on the picture.

Next to him on the picture was a little girl, a little girl who he never ever again (especially now) would forget again. Little Faith Overland, bright caramel brown eyes and a large smile, smiling because she had her big brother who always did his best to make her smile.

Behind the two children stood a thin woman in a long brown dress that had never been warm enough. She had dark auburn hair that went to a little below her shoulders. Her eyes, so familiar, always so filled with love and devotion. She had an arm around each of her two children and...

In the back of his mind Jack knew there was someone else who did and at the same time also didn't belong on the picture, but he didn't think much of it. The word '_hurt_' stopped his mind from going there.

The love in the family... Bunny had created the perfect image, captured everything that needed to be said about his family and put it on paper.

Having gotten up and his back turned Bunny didn't see Jack's expression while the boy gazed at the paper. He didn't need to. Aster could feel the growing place in Jack where hope resided. Hope so strong it was already an oath, an oath to never forget again AND hope to again feel that sense of belonging someday, to feel loved and be part of a family.

Bunny could not stop a grin from forming on his face. Hoping was the start.

Meanwhile Jack still hadn't looked away from drawing, he carefully ran his finger across the lines a small smile on his pale face. "H-how?" He managed to choke out when he finally teared his gaze to look at Bunny who to had turned to look at him.

"Tooth helped me... I thought ya might..." Crikey he hadn't really thought about what he would say. "You would, ya know like to have a reminder."

Luckily that was apparently all he needed to say for he now had his arms full with grateful winter spirit. A cold face buried against his furry chest and thin fingers gripping the grey fur on his back.

"Thank you." Jack's voice was muffled against Bunny's chest, but the pooka had no trouble hearing it.

"No problem Jackie." Bunny smiled rubbing the teen's back. In a short while they'd go back to playfully name calling and friendly tussles, but now they'd just enjoy the moment of peace and each other's company.


	4. Giving space, quite literally

Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG.

Ch4: Giving space, quite literally.

_Mental and physical space, is needed to process the changes. Children are confused about the new situation, a new family is not a small thing. _

_Emotions and territorial fights can therefore blaze, especially when teenagers are involved. _

_#4 Give everyone their space._

Jack was hard to keep track of. North was easy to find at his workshop. Tooth at her palace, her mini-fairies not that hard to find. Bunny at his Warren, the pooka was connected to nature so he could be contacted by knocking a simple morse code knock against trees. Sandy's dream ship was nearly impossible to find but the Sandman could easily be tracked down by finding sleeping children and just following the trails of dreamsand.

Jack Frost was not easy to find.

The winter spirit spend half of the year on different halves of the earth and none of the older guardians knew where the frosted youth went when it wasn't winter somewhere in the world.

Tracking him down when he was late for their monthly meeting was hard.

Tracking him down after an argument or after he ran/flew off when the other guardians pried too much for answers was close to impossible.

**-ROTG-**

300 years is a long time, even for immortals. sometimes Jack had gone for over fifty years without speaking to anyone, but that wasn't the worst, not by a long shot... Beatings, starvation, hunting and so many other things happened during those three centuries. Most of them things Jack prefered not to talk about. Most things the others knew about those years was from what the winter child mentioned in passing.

A person needs to 8 positive touches a day to... to keep sane- to keep functioning.

Jack had gone for years without _any_ form of contact and when he did, it wasn't the most positive kind of touches. The closest thing he had gotten to anything was a pat on the shoulder from one of Summer's sprites... Which had not been the seasonal's smartest move...

Eight positive touches a day...  
Jack hadn't gotten those for 300 years, that were 854.400 positive touched he did not get, and it showed.

It showed when he could stop the cringe when Tooth touched his face to get a better look at his beautiful teeth, eyes either usually at her as if ready to block an attack or... ready to run from the place.

It showed when Jack couldn't stop squirming when North put a hand on his bony shoulders.

It showed when Jack always slowly shuffled away when the Easter Bunny's broad shoulders almost brushed against his. It went automatically, they all realised that. Well all besides Jack.

Like when he automatically ducked away, or walked underneath Sandy to avoid any form of contact.

It was the worst when he jumped back at Tooth or Sandy's presence when they tried to hug him.

Or when Jack never forgot to flinch when Bunny lifted his paw to affectionately ruffle snow-white hair.

And there was no denying that it hurt. Not Tooth, North, Sandy or Bunny could deny that kind of hurt. The cold feeling and stinging sensation in their chest. Like someone squeezing and twisting their hearts every time Jack shied away from them.

Jack didn't do it on purpose, that they knew. No, those instincts were there thanks to other much older spirits who taught is was fun to use the young spirit for target practise.

After so many years without any form of contact Jack did not know how to react.

So Jack avoided it.

And the older guardians had no one else to blame for this than themselves. Them, for leaving him alone for so long.

That's why they wanted- No, that's why they had the _need_ to fix it. Even though they all knew they could never-never- ever- no matter how they wanted to, they could never make up for their mistake.

**-ROTG-**

The red sack landed with a dull thud on the floor. "Bunny!" Jack protested struggling to find the sack's opening. "What did'ya do that for?!" He cried pushing his head out of the sack. "You could have just asked me to come..." Jack trailed of when he got a good look of the room he was in.

His forest... The walls were painted with the exact scenery of his forest at his lake in Burgess. Leafless trees all decorated with a nice layer of frost that was so detailed it looked just like he had frosted it over himself! The lower walls covered with snow and delicate perfectly painted snowflakes covered the walls.

On wooden floor there were multiple Asian rugs most of them green and in various shades of blue and purple. Jack recognized some of the symbols on the hand woven rugs as the same ones that covered his tooth container.

...So words in Tooth's language?

From the ceiling -the high up ceiling that had multiple round windows that could be opened- hang five dream-catchers, each in a different size and color.

There a large window with cushions on the windowpane. There was a bed against the wall, neatly made with lots of soft looking pillows, a couple of feet above the bed hang a light blue hammock that hang suspended from the ceiling. The cloth in various shades of light to dark blue and just like the other Asian rugs, this to seemed to be handmade.

A white closet carved out wood, the closet had a very natural feeling to it, the same went for the bookcase filled with books on different kinds of magic, magic North promised to tell him more about. Books on surrealism and books about animals. Books about adventures at far away places and other inspiring tales.

There was desk near the furthest wall from the bed. On the desk were multiple sketch books and pencils. There's a little purple sack on the desk and by the way glowed Jack suspect it's filled with either dreamsand or some other magical dust.

Jack's eyes scanned the room, that's when he finally saw the name carved into the wooden bed frame.

_Jack Frost._

"What?" Jack perked up. "This is mine?"

"Of course it is!"

Hearing the loud cheerful voice Jack got to his feet and turned around to find the other guardians standing in the door opening each in their own way looking hopeful. Jack looked at North who had spoken before. "What do you mean?" The white-haired youth questioned tilting his head.

"Is room for you Jack." North answered cheerily. "Room we make, for you. You like, da?"

"Yeah..." Jack slowly replied unable to hide his grin as he looked around the room again. "This place is great, but... Why?"

At the question the big four visibly wilted. North's smile slipped away, Tooth flew down so she was closer to the ground while Bunny struggled to keep his ears up so to not show he was saddened by the question, and Sandy who was in the middle of forming a sand image let the sand shaped heart above his head break without even noticing.

_Because it's the __least__ we can do for you._

_Because we want you close to us._

_Because we want you to get used to not being alone._

_Because it's good for you to be around people again._

_Because you are our __**family.**_

North looked at those deep sky-blue eyes staring at his own, those eyes so uncertain and still so untrusting. North wanted nothing more than to tell the boy all that, but he knew that Jack wasn't ready for it yet.

So instead the Russian said "So you know you always have a place to come back to."

The look Jack gave him was so grateful North laughed. Not in a teasing way, North laughed in relief. Relief because the frost child hadn't run of, Jack had a habit to make quick escapes when things got too emotional.. or too close..

North was relieved that they now had this boy who somehow made them a family.

"So what do you think?" Tooth asked to distract Jack, help him ease down a little. It's weird how she can still have a calming effect on Jack while she's flying up wings buzzing with excitement while the fairy talked almost just as fast. "My fairies and I made the rugs! Do you like them? Baby Tooth picked out the colors!"

And Jack couldn't keep the grin from his face as he listened to Tooth explain all the symbols on the rugs, he grinned when Bunny talked about painting and when Sandy and North showed him books.

Jack may not see them as family yet, but they were getting closer and closer every time.

**Author: Sorry this chapter is so late guys, I sorta lost inspiration for this one... Oops? And most of my focus went to my other story Little Prince, if you like my writing style please check out that story as well. **


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